Idiocy at Forbes.com
Sometimes the only appropriate response is to laugh out loud. Forbes.com columnist Rachel Ehrenfeld has discovered that the National Institute on Drug Abuse is presently soliciting proposals from a contractor to grow marijuana for research and other purposes.
Apparently unfamiliar with The Google and other search tools available on the Intertubes, Ehrenfeld actually thinks this is part of “Obamacare,” and the fact that NIDA is “venturing into the marijuana cigarettes production and distribution” is the evil brainchild of George Soros, the pet villain of prohibitionists and other reactionaries.
Oh dear. That the federal government has been distributing medical marijuana to a small group of patients for more than three decades seems to have escaped her notice. So has the fact that, under present (thoroughly dysfunctional) rules, scientists doing clinical research on marijuana must obtain the marijuana for testing from NIDA, along with the fact that for most of that time the government has contracted with the University of Mississippi to produce marijuana for this purpose.
Poor Rachel rants about how studies have supposedly documented adverse effects of marijuana and fails completely to notice the wealth of research that documents medical efficacy and safety — not to mention the vast array of medical and public health organizations that have recognized marijuana’s medical potential.
Nah, it’s all a conspiracy, with evil George Soros pulling Obama’s puppet strings.
Rachel, call us when you return to planet Earth.
Tagged with: drug warriors and George Soros and Medical Marijuana and Obama and science by the author
36 comments
Ummm….what? Top-notch journalism right there.
Perhaps Rachel would like to explain why studies show that cannabis has medical efficacy for the following ailments, diseases, and conditions: AIDS & cancer wasting syndrome, glaucoma, Tourette’s, Hepatitis C, Fibromyalgia, MRSA, ADD/ADHD, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, chronic pain, anxiety, and depression. She might be interested to know that for many of these conditions, cannabis is as effective or more effective than other pharmaceutical drugs normally used to treat them. Maybe if she wasn’t brainwashed by “reefer madness”, she would have looked at the recent study showing that moderate cannabis use is associated with a lower incidence of head and neck cancers. She might have also realized that Donald Tashkin has already shown that cannabis use isn’t associated with higher incidence of lung cancer, COPD, etc.
Sorry to tell you this, Rachel, but there are studies in Neuroscience, The Lancet, Journal of Natural Products, Cancer Prevention Research, etc. that show that “marijuana” has medical value.
I’d fire her if I were her boss.
Dugg @ Digg.com:
http://digg.com/political_opinion/Forbes_Writer_Mixes_ObamaCare_with_Medical_Marijuana
what an ignorant douchbag. i’m sure she will be alittle miffed when she reads what everyone thinks of her pathetic lies. keep taking your meds sweetie….try a smart pill next time.
Every article like this I have read, has had well thought out and researched comments. I hope it’s not long before politicians get on the same page as internet commenters.
Rachel and Sarah Palin need to hold hands, and just walk off the edge of the earth. ASAP!!!
Instead of doing research Rachel is out shopping.
Return to planet earth? You mean she actually belongs on this planet?
I agree with adle1984, I’d fire her if I were her boss. For blatant stupidity and the inability to do the slightest bit of research before she opens her mouth.
For the love of God can someone please get over to the “legalize marijuana” page on change.org that you guys run and and PLEASE update it????? It hasn’t been updated since early May. It’s not like there’s no news. Why abandon that page? Hell, I would update it myself if I could.
Fire this bitch for been stupid. For being an ignorant and closed minded.
Rachel Ehrenfield & others like her are true prohibitionist and never will agree with truthful MJ facts but they’ll all fade away with time. Everyone is entitled to have their own opinion but incorrect journalism practices is a sure way to end careers/magazine sales very quickly and it should be against the law to intentionally lead people astray to boot. If people don’t like MJ for any reason, simply tell them to leave or sit down and shut up in our communities. I can’t think of anything more damageing to Forbes than to let a journalist have their rant based on lies and misleading the public. Just ask the Kellog Corporation, this sort of journalism is just stupidity at it’s finest and Forbes magazine has just shown how over rated and incompetent they really are.
Rachel is obviously not much of an investigative reporter.
My own investigation consisted of sharing my homegrown and having it appraised as far, far superior to the gov’t’s Mississippi Mud some years back when relaxing with one of those authorized to receive it for medical use after a local protest.
What Rachel should be outraged about is the crappy quality of said gov’t weed. I don’t necessarily play the “gov’t can’t get anything right” theme, as that would just be throwing gasoline on her fire. So I will just say that if the gov’t is going to keep us from growing our own, they ought to at least make decent weed available to us that need it and quit wasting taxpayer money in Miss.
WOW Bruce! Ya I think your right. Think I will just …LMAO!!!LOL!
Oh man, just like the huge budget deficit was a good platform for MPP to get in the news a little, this has the potential to be terribly destructive to the cause if it is tagged onto the evil stigma of Obamacare. Anti-Obamacare is probably going to take some of these “facts” and just go apeshit with lies about how Obama wants to use tax money to get high or some bullshit like that.
And the winning quote for most BS:
“How much would it cost to investigate the black market that will flourish supplying groups prohibited by law from receiving drugs–adolescents, airline pilots, police officers, etc.? This new industry could create jobs. But are there going to be enough sober workers to perform them?”
Anyone found her email address? Or one for her editors?
I have left 2 messgaes at the Editor’s department for Forbes. The number is 212-620-2200. If you hit 4 then 3 you will get the editor’s department. I hope everyone joins me with an hourly request for retraction.
I have phone in my request for a retraction. Thank you Loren!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111783991
The Forbes website Comments:
Posted by seymour2155 | 08/14/09 10:55 AM EDT
I’m a retired federal narcotics agent and I don’t agree with this story. It’s riddled with many misleading statements. Sorry but people like me know both sides of the story very well.
Tags: Incorrect information
Thanks for that post Ben. I have stopped giving money to NPR precisely because they ignore prohibition (like most traditional media outlets) while they drone on about drug cartels and violence. I heard part of this story on morning edition, but it was more of the sensationalist, “OMG pot is everywhere in Cali!” tone.
It would be great to hear Bruce or MPP hitting the highlights of the arguments against prohibition on NPR. Winning over the way media outlets frame this argument is key to our success.
please go to the link for rachel’s artical as of now 41 comments not one praising her artical all negitive
My question is why is the DHHS asking for these proposals??? Are they about to rule on the reclassification petition and are setting up to be able to move to production and distribution really quickly?
i would ask her to simply take a hit and try it first before she spews this crap. people who have never smoked should not be able to say anything on this topic as they only have speculative knowledge on this subject instead of real life experiences.
it will not destroy the world! geez….
Trut!
[...] Mirken slams the Idiocy at Forbes.com, where columnist Rachel Ehrenfield has written ObamaCare’s Medical Marijuana. Ehrenfield [...]
i know this isn’t suppose to be in here, but i gotta post it… ok This Doc is Calld – The Miami Model – Documentary on FTAA Police State Brutality – http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7557174318773212602&hl=en
It will show u guys that our media nd the law enforcement, work together nd they edit there video footage to make it look like we attackd em. so they dont get in trouble. For Brutality.
This chick is the kind I pick up at 2:10 in the morning.
In support for George Soros: I have a friend that’s a pediatrician who currently has half his salary (about $60k) paid for with a Soros grant so he can further his work in Child Advocacy (it’s a nice way to say anti child abuse). Soros grants in children’s health care save and improve the lives of abused children. In my book he’s a hero.
Bob C. #29,
I think the subject here is the story above by Bruce Mirken!
Right ON!, I’m living the dream move you’ve all been wishing for that want to move to a State that has medical MJ programs and in the near future that State may soon legalize personal use of MJ. I’ve taken a close look at which State is the best for me personally and I have to pick between Maine and Colorado after long consideration of all States. I’m out of here!
Rachel Ehrenfield and many others like her have a strong impression over people who are weak minded and uneducated on MJ issues. Media outlets are virtually useless to us as MJ acitivist but we’re growing and becoming more accepted in the public eye every week through a few media companies, not to mention some of our own. If your feeling frustrated like me in Tennessee, consider moving to a State with MJ programs and feel the freedom flow to you as you make new friends in common sense surroundings. Don’t wait till your terribly sick and need your MJ medications to survive. Preparation is the giver of life, move now while you have the ability. Things aren’t getting better, they’re getting worse every week and soon you’ll realize to your horror that you should’ve done something about your situation sooner in order to legally take MJ medications like hemp oil, a known cure for cancer and many other illnesses.
Do you really think all of this fuss is just about getting high? Yeah, it is for many but for MJ patients today and in the future, we aren’t stupid enough to end our lives waiting, waiting, waiting, G-O-N-E!
ANOTHER ONE DIDN’T BITE THE DUST!
Rick #31 – Good for you over the move. My only advice is if you’ve never lived on the West coast you might do better in Maine. You’ll have the nearly the same amount of snow in both places so that’s not an issue. Little colder in Maine but Colorado gets some amazing snow storms, and rain showers.
We’re on the same page. A trip to Oregon in February is scheduled for us. The purpose of the trip is to find a rental, a small one for now, as we’ll travel between the two so I can get Medical Marijuana. Eventually we’ll move there, and we may end up with less income, don’t know for sure, but at least I’ll get some of my health back and end the suffering.
Right now we live in Utah, came here for a job, and I thought I’d take on the Utah Legislature and rally for Medical Marijuana however, I’m getting too old, too tired, and with not feeling physically well I’ve decided the strength necessary to do the fight in this state is not something I’m up for.
Lea #32,
I just returned from Utah for my son’s wedding and people in Utah are very influenced by reports like the one above by Mr. Mirken. You’ve got more work in being an MJ activist than you can handle in Utah, (lot of mental cases.) Utah needs to smoke MJ and I mean that with a loving heart. Just take a ride on any public transportation system and you’ll know what I mean, depression is rampant. MJ has a way of elevating the spirit like no other drug I know and it’s safe to use. I would give anything to play the guitar as I travel the Salt Lake Valley on the public transportation systems and pass a out a hand full of joints on a railway or bus line some days and you can guess what that would do for the sombie like population of Utah. It’s all doom, gloom and crisis there! Get out of there and save yourself a lot of grief and hardship just as soon as you can. I lived there just long enough to learn a hard lesson on where not to live. Why do you think Park City is so popular? It’s the get away from all that low life attitude, the ultimate control State.
TAKE CARE : )
[...] [...]
The Luddites never seem to know what hit them.
Thanks for this!
Cla
This Ehrenfeld woman really knows how to bring the stupid for sure. She makes a bunch of baseless accusations about the safety of cannabis in her article and includes a bizarre rant against George Soros as well. I would argue that none of her article was relevant to the healthcare proposals being discussed in congress right now.
If you want to email Erhenfeld directly do so through her absurdly-titled American Center for Democracy at Ehrenfeld@acdemocracy.org
I would not recommend checking out the ACD site in detail unless you feel like throwing up your latest meal.
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